Proper lubrication is an important part of ensuring that bearings run smoothly and trouble free. Particularly in the plumbing industry, where sleeve bearing electric motors and water circulator pump bearings are common, there is a constant problem with bearing failures. The main cause of bearing breakdowns is usually insufficient or improper manual lubrication. Manual oiling is often forgotten or, because of a range of factors that affect oiling requirements such as temperature, continuous or intermittent operation and altitude, is done improperly.
Prior art devices have been developed that allow for automatic oiling or greasing of bearings to alleviate the problem of insufficient lubricating. Generally, these devices employ wick lubricators that are mounted atop the bearing to be lubricated and deliver oil or grease from a reservoir to the bearing packing system or directly to the bearing surface. Examples of such prior art lubricating devices are shown in the following United States patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 133,316 to Hutchinson, Jr. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 518,058 to Finch PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 746,243 to Baggaley PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 817,084 to Moore et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 955,608 to Shortt PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 983,025 to Chalmers PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,171,681 to Weckwerth et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,328,209 to Sharp PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,409,644 to Baker PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,632,874 to Blount PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,622 to Bauman PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,336 to Dochterman
The majority of these devices rely on simple capillary flow of lubricating material through the wicking material to deliver a constant flow of lubricant to the bearing. In fact, the oiling device of Dockterman relies on a spring pressurized oil reservoir to constantly feed oil through the wicking material. All the devices of the prior art adequately address the problem of insufficient lubrication of a bearing by providing a device that is always in place. However, a new problem arises in that the prior art devices tend to supply lubricant to the bearings whether it is needed or not leading to wastage of lubricant and making a large lubricant reservoir necessary for long periods of unattended operation.
The prior art devices known to applicant date back to the early part of this century and are clearly intended for large scale machinery where large amounts of lubricating material is necessary.
Accordingly, there is a need for a smaller scale oiling device that can be used to lubricate the sleeve bearings of today's smaller electric motors and similar bearings. The smaller scale of these motors and their often intermittent operation makes supplying a constant flow of lubricant to the bearing unnecessary and undesirable. In recent years, electric oilers have been developed that employ a valve to release a small quantity of oil at timed intervals preset by the operator, but these devices are complex and very expensive to purchase and install.